Generators
Crossword Puzzle Maker
Paste your answers and clues, and get a numbered crossword with Across and Down clue lists, ready to solve on screen, print, or save as a PDF with an answer key.
Separate the answer from its clue with a dash, colon or tab (pasting two columns from a spreadsheet works). Answers use the letters A–Z: spaces and hyphens are removed and accents dropped, so “ice cream” fills ICECREAM and its clue gets “(2 words)”.
Works in your browser. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
How does the maker decide where the words go?
It places the longest answers first and joins every other answer to the grid where it shares a letter, so the whole puzzle is one connected block. Words may only touch where they cross, so no stray letter combinations appear. It builds up to 400 different layouts, stopping after about 0.7 seconds, and keeps the one that fits the most answers, then the one with the most crossings, then the most compact and square.
Why was one of my answers left out?
An answer can only go in if it crosses an answer that is already in the grid on a shared letter, without running alongside other words or pushing the grid past the size limit. An answer with uncommon letters, such as JAZZ in a list with no J or Z, may have nowhere to join. The tool names every answer it left out, and never lists a clue for a word that is not in the grid. A new layout, a larger grid, or one more answer that shares its letters usually fixes it.
What happens to spaces, hyphens and accents in answers?
The grid holds the letters A to Z only. Spaces, hyphens, apostrophes and digits are removed and accents are dropped, so “ice cream” fills ICECREAM, “café” fills CAFE and “Straße” fills STRASSE. Clues for multi-word answers end in “(2 words)”, or with letter counts turned on, “(3,5)”, and hyphenated answers show “(6-2-3)”. The answer key lists each answer as you typed it, in capitals. Answers written entirely in another alphabet, such as Greek or Cyrillic, are skipped.
How does solving on screen work?
Click a square or a clue and type: the cursor moves along the word, Backspace goes back, the arrow keys move around the grid, and clicking the same square again or pressing Space switches between Across and Down. Check answers marks wrong letters in red, Reveal word fills the selected answer, and Reveal all shows the whole solution. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
Why do some characters look different in the PDF?
The PDF uses the standard Helvetica font built into every PDF reader, which covers only Western European characters. Letters such as ł or ş in the title, instructions or clues are simplified, and Greek, Cyrillic, Chinese or emoji are left out; the tool warns you when that happens. The Print button uses your browser’s fonts, so it keeps them.
Can I make several versions of the same crossword?
Yes. Each click of Make a new layout arranges the same answers in a different grid, which changes the numbers and which words cross. Download or print each version before making the next one, since only the current layout is kept.
About this tool
This crossword maker turns a vocabulary list into a finished puzzle: spelling words with definitions, science or history terms, book characters, or a themed quiz for a party. The layout is free-form, the style used in classroom crosswords: answers cross wherever they share a letter, and the squares no answer uses stay blank rather than being shaded. Numbering follows crossword convention, reading left to right and top to bottom, so a square that starts both an Across and a Down answer carries one number used in both lists.
The PDF puts the title, your instructions and an optional name and date line at the top of the page, then the grid, then the Across and Down clues in two columns; long clue lists continue on the next page. The answer key follows with the grid filled in and every answer listed under its number, so you can print the puzzle pages on their own and keep the key. US Letter and A4 are both supported, and Print produces a matching layout straight from the browser.
For a class, fifteen to twenty-five answers of four to ten letters give a grid that fits one page with room for the clues. Short, letter-rich answers join the grid more easily than long words full of rare letters. Turn on letter counts for younger students, who find a clue ending in (5) much easier to start, and leave them off for a harder puzzle.
Students can also solve the puzzle on screen, on a computer, tablet or phone, with Check answers and Reveal to help them along. Everything, including the PDF, is made in your browser; your words and clues are not uploaded.